How to Plan a Quick and Inexpensive Foyer Makeover – Spring One Room Challenge Week 1

I’m super excited to let you in on my next big project. I’m doing an inexpensive foyer makeover for the One Room Challenge in six (actually five) short weeks (gasp)!

Me and 200+ other bloggers will be making over one room, from top to bottom, in just six weeks. Although it isn’t a contest, it is a challenge – The One Room Challenge to be exact! How fun is that!? My third One Room Challenge, this one is a little different than the others. I’m doing this one sponsor free – I wasn’t entirely sure I was going to go for it this time around – which means my budget is a bigger concern. Get ready for several budget friendly tutorials – crafts, DIY furniture builds and decorating… I can’t wait to show you what I’ve come up with!

The room I’ll be making over is my foyer. I often find one of the hardest things about making over a room is knowing where to start and then actually starting! If you’re the same, here are some things that I do to get my butt in gear and make it happen.

1. DO KNOW WHY YOU’RE REDECORATING

My first step in figuring out what needs to work on is always to determine why I want to make a change. In the case of my foyer, the main reasons for the change are:

It seems incomplete

It doesn’t compliment and flow into the partner rooms

It’s not cohesive in design

It has carpeted stairs – I hate carpet on the stairs!

This room is flanked by four – yes, four – other rooms, all that have received more of our love and attention.

The office and living room are both ongoing projects that are slowing evolving to the look and feel we’re striving for. The powder room was updated recently, and the Dining room/playroom was my first One Room Challenge. Every room has elements of my favorite decorating style – a mostly neutral palette with a mostly traditional vibe, but with a side of the eclectic and whimsy. Don’t forget the mandatory splashes of bold color and pattern! This is sadly lacking in the foyer so, the hope is that our changes will finish off some of the work that we’ve started here in the past and ensure that the first impression our guests have our home is pleasant and cohesive.

2. DO DARE TO DREAM

What do you want to change? We’re talking blue sky here – in your wildest dreams, if there were no obstacles and anything was possible, what would you wish your space to look like? Keep in mind the style of your home but don’t let that limit your choices. Create a mood board – I use Olioboard, which is free, to store all of the things that I love or wish I could have. Then, I take those ideas and modify them to fit my budget.

That’s what I’ve been doing, and I’ve found some excellent sources from other bloggers and decorating sites!

A Beautiful Mess

Oceanic Pendant Light // Anthropologie

Design by Charlotte Hedeman Gueniau

First River Station Antique Gold Glass Pendant // Bellacor

Brittany Makes

Brewster Wallcovering

Belodemas Architects

3. DO SHOP YOUR STUFF FIRST

Take stock of what you like or don’t like in your room. Sometimes, just moving furniture around can yield tremendous results. None of the rooms in my home are mammoth. Therefore, placement is a huge consideration. I use Floorplanner.com to figure out the best use of limited space. It’s easy to use, and it’s free. If nothing in the room works for you, consider making over key pieces. It’ll not only save you cash, but you’ll end up with a custom made piece!

Things I like in my foyer:

The paint color

The board and batten

The crown molding

It’s not a lot, but it’s a start!

4. DO SET A BUDGET {and stick to it}

Figure out how much you can truly afford and be sure to add in a contingency fund – this goes for a small decor update all the way to a major renovation because no matter what you think you’ll spend, you’ll likely spend more. Case in point: The Target Dollar Aisle. Our budget for this project will be $200.

5. DO SET UP A TIMELINE AND PROJECT PLAN

There comes a time in every dream where you must take action. One of the things I love about the One Room Challenge is that it holds me accountable and I have to stay moving to get it all done. It’s a bit crazy when it’s going on, but I’m always so happy when it’s finished that I pushed through and have one more space in my home to love. Although you may not be participating in the One Room Challenge, setting your own deadlines will keep things going and make it that much sooner you’ll end with a space that you love!

I’ll elaborate next week, but here is a quick look at my plan!

TO DO

Remove the carpet from the stairs and give the staircase new life.

Replace the light fixture

Change the space to allow for both a bench and a console table

Add dimension and interest to the ceiling

Paint the front door a bold color

Add a new rug and accents more fitting to our style – plants are a must!

Find space for a pet station

I’m excited to get started! It’s time to take this project from dream to action. I hope you’ll follow along.. if you’d like to, consider following me on Social Media or subscribing to make sure you don’t miss anything!

3 months agoby knockitoffcrafterYes, those plates are pink! One of my favorite things to do during the holidays is to put together a fun and festive Christmas tablescape. This year it's all about modern vintage for me, with lots and lots of non-traditional Christmas color. I'm sharing all of my best DIY and repurposing ideas for the sparkliest of tables! Even better? Santa left y'all a gift! Even better than that? There are 26 OTHER tables to see as well! #christmastable#diy#pink#linkinprofile